In addition, we study pain from an epidemiological perspective both in the healthy population and in children, adolescents and young adults with rheumatic or other conditions that can affect the experience of pain. The aim is to increase the knowledge on child rheumatology and consequences in a life-time perspective. Such knowledge might be used to tailor individualized treatment and follow-up for children and adolescents with rheumatic disease.

We participate in several large, on-going regional, national and multi-national studies and research network. We register clinical data, imaging, biobank material as background material for several PhD projects both at NTNU and at our co-operating partners. We are also performing epidemiological studies on pain in adolescents and young adults based on the HUNT and Young-HUNT studies. We are involved in translational research with neurophysiological testing of sensory and thermal sensitivity. The aim is to study if long-term pain in childhood chronic rheumatic conditions affects somatosensory and pain sensitivity, and thus pain experience. Also, we are involved in research on biomarkers in relation to rheumatic diseases in children.

The research group is lead by professor Marite Rygg, also consultant in Pediatric Rheumatology at the Department of Paediatrics, St. Olavs hospital, with responsibility of pediatric rheumatology in the Region of Mid-Norway.

Research projects

• Children arthritis in the Nordic countries
• Children and adolescents with childhood arthritis
• PharmaChild
• Chronic nonspecific pain in adolescents
• Developmental traits and risk factors for physical aggression in adolescents

More on the projects in our Norwegian website - Barnerevmatologi og smerte (CRY)